A parent asked about some ideas for helping her 3rd grade daughter experience the joy of taking care of something. “She didn’t respond well to the unpredictable activity of puppies and kittens, and she cried uncontrollably when a fish died. What are some other options?” SPECIFIC STRATEGY A rewarding and rather fool-proof option is to [...]
Because of cognitive challenges, some individuals diagnosed with autism are not able to read, write, or even talk.. Other people with autism seem self-absorbed and do not seem to be interested in learning. In these cases, it is easy to assume that a person cannot or will not understand science or history or music. When [...]
Today we are discussing the issue of respect. It would probably be a good idea for all of us to take a close look at our interactions with our friends with autism and other disabilities so we can be certain we are treating them with respect and allowing them to maintain their dignity. Most of [...]
A parent of an 7-year-old girl with autism asked for some ideas for birthday parties. “Our daughter is invited to birthday parties of kids she knows at school and church,” said the mom. “We would like to have a party for her, but the sensory over-load of balloons, the cake and ice cream, the pile [...]
A special education teacher and I were discussing the negative reaction of several of her students with autism to the fire alarm signal at school. As the discussion progressed, we both realized that the entire school day is filled with sounds that are probably very disconcerting to individuals diagnosed with autism. She asked me to [...]
A small group of parents of youngsters with autism requested some ideas for family spring break activities. The youngsters, from 7 to 12 years old, spanned a broad range of abilities and disabilities. “We want to do something special to celebrate the holiday, but our work schedules keep us from taking long trips. We need [...]
Several parents of my music therapy students were discussing the fact that other children in the family are required to do chores around the house, but – in many cases – children with autism and other disabilities are not asked to pitch in. They asked for some ideas for appropriate chores for their pre-teen boys. [...]
A mother and teen-aged sister were discussing their daily family life and looking for ideas to break out of the drudgery of the daily routine. Their son and brother is an 18-year-old diagnosed with autism. He has some functional language and is able to take care of some of his personal needs. He gets agitated [...]
“My son refuses to eat fruits and vegetables,” said parent of a young man who has been coming to music therapy for about 8 years. He is a pre-teen diagnosed with autism. My friend is non-verbal and has limited cognitive abilities. His mom said, “He doesn’t like to try new foods or new textures in [...]
